Success with SCD Diet!

44 year old female, diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2015, but dealing with some inflammation since 2011. Now in remission, thanks to the SCD diet.

Also about Anita: Professor. Mom. Love to read, dance, little time for hobbies these days.

Currently in remission

Anita’s Story:

I wanted to write to let people know how well the SCD Diet has been working for me. I’ve had some inflammation for years, and started treatment for UC in 2015 Fall. Nothing worked, not even steroid enemas, which gave me moon face and a horrible reaction when I went off them (my doctor didn’t tell me to taper – she thought that since I was using enemas, not oral steroids, I wouldn’t need to taper – so I suffered withdrawal without quite knowing what it was for days and broke out in a horrible facial rash that lasted more than a week). Finally, after two years of medicines failing, my doctor suggested Entyvio. I was afraid to try an immunosuppressant and my colitis wasn’t debilitating (went to bathroom about 5-6 times a day and saw blood, mucous, but could still work, take a train, etc.). So I started looking for alternatives and stumbled onto the SCD diet. My GI was really skeptical, told me there was no scientific basis for the diet, that I’d be missing important nutrients, etc., and referred me to an IBD specialist to discuss Entyvio. I mentioned to the IBD specialist that I wanted to try dietary changes before considering Entyvio and he said I should try diet modification for three months then come back and see him — and if it wasn’t working, we should do Entyvio at that point. Before I could start the SCD diet, I traveled for work and came down with a horrible case of food poisoning from airport food. Must have gone to the bathroom 10 or more times a day, had to run out in the middle of teaching a class once to use the bathroom, etc. My UC went from mild to bad overnight. I started the SCD diet a week or two into the food poisoning, following it incorrectly at first, then restarted with the Intro diet again a few months later — and felt better within a couple of days! I suddenlty had formed-ish stools (within a few days) and my urgency and frequency decreased quickly as well. I also stopped seeing blood and mucous within a few days.

Fast forward to one year and two months from the time I restarted the Intro diet and I am now down to one or two bowel movements a day, almost always formed. I just had a colonoscopy (using Osmo prep, which I highly recommend to avoid SCD illegal ingredients) — and the doctor said my colitis is in remission! I’m incredibly relieved and grateful that the diet has been working and wanted to share my story in the hopes that it might give others hope to try and to stick with the SCD diet.

I wish everyone reading this good health and luck with whatever therapies / diet changes you try. My heart goes out to everyone who is suffering from this disease.

Thanks so much,
Anita

Medications/ Supplements:

I currently take Lialda orally as well as probiotics and some curcurosorb and boswellia (herbs) as well as Naldexterone and vitamin D, sometimes also biotin and an SCD-legal multi-vitamin (though I’m inconsistent with the multi-vitamin). But I actually think I’d probably be okay without the medications. Maybe at some point I will try eliminating those one by one.

submitted in the colitis venting area

Anita K

44 year old female, diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2015, but dealing with some inflammation since 2011. Now in remission, thanks to the SCD diet.